Han Kee – Longest Queue At Amoy Street Food Centre, Generous Fish Soup Brims With Thick Cut Mackerel

Ask which is the longest queue stall in Singapore, and it can be a toss-up between the Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles at Crawford Lane or Hawker Chan’s Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle at Chinatown Food Complex.

There is also Han Kee at Amoy Street Food Centre.

For non-CBD people, the queue during peak-hour lunch time, can be a sight to behold.

There could be at least 40-50 pax lining up at any one time, but at least the queue clears relatively fast.

Han Kee known for its fresh Fish Soup, is located at the 2nd floor of Amoy Street Food Centre

You can’t miss it because of the long queue of diners it attracts for a mid-day meal – though sometimes the line would accidentally intertwine with its neighbour’s Wah Kee Noodles.

Check the signs as there is another fish soup stall with a semi-long line (comparatively) Piao Ji Fish Porridge, also in the same food centre.

As I have queued here for a number of times, I thought there were certain things I should ‘warn’ you about. (A couple of unspoken ‘rules’.)

Avoid peak lunch hours. In fact, even if you come near opening hours, say 11:15am or so, you may already find 20-30 pax waiting in line (then you wonder, ”Wah, so early can come out for lunch ah?”)

The auntie at the stall takes orders from the line in advance, be ready to tell her your order and DON’T CHANGE it, or DON’T ADD items after committing.

I can only suspect that it is because she remembers all those orders and money + change in her mind, and changing anything will disrupt that. Do not be surprised as she may tell customers off.

Do not give her 5 cents, and extra chilli padi cost 30cents.

All right, the menu basically revolves on 2 types of fish: sliced fish and fish head. Each can be served as plain soup, with bee hoon, or as a porridge.

Bowls come in three sizes ($5, $7, $9) for the Sliced Fish Soup, Sliced Fish Bee Hoon, and Sliced Fish Porridge.

The versions with fish head, i.e Fish Head Soup, Fish Head Bee Hoon, Fish Head Porridge, are more expensive by a dollar ($6, $8, $10).

Add a serving of white rice for $0.50. (One bowl of rice max per fish order though.)

Try a medium-sized Sliced Fish Bee Hoon ($7.00), served in a light, clear, subtly sweet broth with bits of fried garlic.

It has a natural, clean taste, you don’t taste any artificial flavouring.

They also don’t skimp on the fish – your bowl is filled to the brim with slices of thick-cut batang, aka Spanish Mackerel.

This type of fish is a favourite among hawkers for its texture, price and consistent supply.

First timers are often surprised they are getting that much fish for the price. More importantly, the freshness of this white fish is evident in its taste and its firm yet tender flesh does not fall apart easily.

If you are used to those rich and milky fish soup, you would find their clear, perhaps plain.

So the main star here, is really about the amount of fresh fish slices you are getting.

Han Kee 漢記
7 Maxwell Road, #02-129 Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Tel: +65 6688 5665
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun (Note: stall may also close as and when.)

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